Himeji Castle

Spread over a hill that climbs up from the plain, Himeji Castle with its white walls shimmering inthe sunlight like the feathers of a fantastic bird seems to be rising into the blue sky like a greatheron. This impression has given it the name Castle of the White Heron . The castle, whichhas nothing martial about it, on the contrary, it is extraordinarily elegant, is undoubtedly one ofJapan's most impressive fortresses. It was built between 1601 and 1609, when the period of warwas almost over, and was used primarily for administration and residence, with defence as a secondary role. Thus its aesthetic impact was as important when it was built as its actual purpose as a fortification.The main building in the castle is the Tenshu or Tenshu-kaku in the northem part of the complex, a wooden structure about 46 m high. Its complicated intermediate roofs make it look more like a skyscraper than a tower. Himeji Castle represents an architectural type that probably does not occur in other areas ofthe world. Large parts of the building were classified as Kokuho State Treasure as earlyas 1951, and others as Important Cultural Property . The building was placed on the WorldCultural Heritage list in 1993.